Degu Cut on bottom

[leebishop]

I introduced a pair of babies to my 18month Degu a few months ago now, they have all been fine together but as the babies are now about 5months thing occasionally get heated in the cage. The past couple of days they have all been chasing each other around and generally having a bit of a fight. They have all been fine but now one of the babies has a cut on his bum on the underside near his tail. Should I bath this with a bit of salt water or just leave it and keep an eye on it for a while?

[deguconvert]

Sounds like you've entered the Adolescent stage . . . OH so much fun!! I think if it is not swollen, bleeding, or looking red, or hot, then just leave it for now. The less stress the better. However, do keep an eye on it! If it begins to show any signs of irritation or change (other than healing well) you may need to take him to your vet to be checked and likely treated for an infection.

[leebishop]

Ok it seems a bit red but it's only been there a day, it should be fine. Hoping to get them into a decent DIY cage once we move out. Don't really feel the cage they are in at the moment is big enough which won't really help but can't fit much bigger in our room :-(

[nubbin]

were going through exactly the same thing, Manny has a nasty little cut near his bits, its scabbed over and looks fine now. How long does this adolecent stage go on for?

[deguconvert]

We've been told from the German degu community that adolecense lasts anywhere from age six months to eighteen months. Many will begin to mellow a bit around the one year mark, but there are those few that go right up to the eighteen months and then finally turn the corner.

[leebishop]

Ive checked them over again today and the one seems to have quite a few cuts on his back, they have all scabbed over but looks like he maybe getting picked on a bit more. i know theres not really too much i can do but i do feel sorry for him.
If they are scabbing over ok is it worth giving hem a quick wipe with salt water?

[deguconvert]

If they are scabbed over, giving them a wipe with salt water won't do them much good anyway.

If you have the opportunity, keep a close eye on them and see if you can actually figure out who the true instigator is. When our boys were going through their adolecent stage, we were sure that Peek was the one that was being picked on and that Reep was the one doing it. However, as I began to really watch closely over several days, it gradually became very clear that Peek was the instigator, he was just the poorer fighter and that was why he had the most scabs on him. Since fighting skill may be radically different in each degu, the one bearing the most scabs isn't always the one being picked on.

[leebishop]

Ok, the fighting doesn't really seem to have gotten any worse but... Dobby the goo who had the cuts on his back happened to be bleeding tonite. I've checked him and he has quite a few cuts and is missing a good patch of fur. We have bathed his back in some salt water and he seems perky. Just worried that his back is getting worse thanks to the other Goo's.
I know there isn't too much I can do until it has passed, would a larger cage help? The one we have atm is too small now they are growing up, we have moved into our own place so can crack on a make something for them

[deguconvert]

A larger cage can go a great ways to making things better . . . or at least relieving some of the stresses that the degus are experiencing between them and as a result of confined space. When our boys were in the adolecent stage there was a lot of fighting going on, and increasing the cage size we had reduced things, speeding along their resolution of differences and dominance issues.